Bug#697932: init script for single application appliances

[Alexandre Rossi <alexandre.rossi@gmail.com>]

Package: xserver-xorg
Version: 1:7.7+1
Severity: wishlist

Hi,

Using the X server to draw applications running fullscreen on
dedicated appliances is not so uncommon. There are numerous tutorials
describing how to do that, and various techniques.

There is the /etc/inittab way. But I prefer the init script way as the
X server can be started and stopped. The only caveat is that the init
script launching the X server needs users not logged in the start the
X server (dpkg-reconfigure x11-common).

I've written such a script[1] for my package. It runs the X server as
a dedicated user and provides access to a Xauthority file using
permissions to the video group. Some more details in the 'default'
file[2]. It as been working reliabily for me and some friends for a
few years.

But I now found out that this can be beneficial to other packages as
well (xbmc for instance). I think my script requires very few
adaptations to be more general-purpose. That's why I could propose
either a patch to one of the X packages or a new source package
(containing only one script?) making easy to deploy such configuration
(initscript, dedicated user creation).

Any comments, fixes, guidelines will be very welcome.

Thanks,

Alex

[1] http://sousmonlit.incube.tk/~niol/repositories/deejayd/file/d52a42471c0a/debian/deejayd.deejayd-xserver.init
[2] http://sousmonlit.incube.tk/~niol/repositories/deejayd/file/d52a42471c0a/debian/deejayd.default